Boll-weevil gatherer and destroyer



G. W. HOLMES BOLL WEEVIL-GATHERER AND DESTROYER Aug.l 12 1924.. 1,504,474

Filed Oct. 23, 1922 2 Sheezs-Shm 1 2.4 In/vanto@ ug.. E2 N240 G. W. HOLMES BOLL WEEVIL GATHERER AND DESTRQYER Filed oct. 23, 1922 2 sheets-sneu 2 Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

GETTE W. HOLMES, `OF"HOSSTON, LOUISIANA.

'H'BOLL-'WEEVIL IGA'JIII:E112/EIR.4 "AND DESTROYER.

. application filed october 23,-1922.seriia1No. 596,331.

[0 all who/mf Muay concern:

Be it? known lthatY 1,' Gn'rrn VRIGHT .HoLMEs, a citizenfof )the United States residqing' at Hosston,` :in the parish of Caddo 1 and State yof Louisiana, have invented certain .-new :and luseful Almprovements in Boll- *VveevixlGatherersfandDestroyers, of which -the following.V is a .speci-lication, reference H being vhad to the accompanyingdrawings.

The 'present 'invention has for its purpose .the provisionfof a machine of thisl character yto abesdriven between-thero'ws of cotton A.plants vfor gatheringthe boll weevils and f other insects, #andy subsequently Ydestroying lithein.

Anotherfpui-pose is theprovisionof aina- --chine of this lkind including a frame fprovidedu withaoppositelyv revolving members for knocking the boll weevilsiandiotherfinsects from fthe tops .off :thef 4plants' inwardly 1of theimachineiandinto` an insect pan which contains Water 'and o.il,:fthe :water constitut- .iing yther-greater portion .'ofi thebody ofi :the liquid, `while the oil'(fwhiclrfloats upon the i mpper: :sunface lofi ithef :Water )i constitutes. the .fisnialleriportioniof; the (liquid. .f "lhe-oil is. to be sof suclrt character 't hatt it f :will: A.kill :the i .inseetsr-f which 'aafterrfl'oating uponthe i surafface offatlreoiilcfor a rsh'ortf'zwhile Willb'eventu- :aillyi sink tohthe-fbottomofi :the/pan.

#Stil-l:anotherfpurpose istheiproviision of a trame r for.' the :support :ofi :the f oppositelyrotatable 11' insect :1j:gathering remembers, 1,. isaid i trame being-r adjnstablez laterally; sofas ito ac- `,.cominodate 1 ithei unelnberse :to i rows lof cotton plants .'diferentlysspaded.

.i Ai e further.`- purpose is theiprovisionv of a Y.paniaforreceivingthedooll fweevils andi other f linsects, ntheopann having?! siide.A ';eXtensions, 40 which are alsol f' adj ustable, to raccominodate the anachine lto*news-lofi plants differently tspaced.

. s A'. stilhffmntlren purpose is :the spnovision fof nnaeans :for permitting the :upper vpart vofi .the 'iframe to l be iadjnst'edi vertically; iso-ias Lto` ac- :commodate ither lrotating fbrrnshes or` members litofeotton plants ioffdifferent heights.

VEhe ifixnventi'on also.r aims ato f providemeans, A"so rge'aredf4 =to a drive'fwheell lof. the =machine i. xaiid *tot zthef rotating) brushes 'ory .nrelnbers,A .Las `torotateilthen'r very'arapidlygiiat -least at a i speed\t'wice :orthree itimes the: speed fof't the wd1ive"rw-heel, rso was to f insure iknoching Y .the .Hbollf fwe'evils and othen finsectsi froml .the tops 55,-!'of .the plants. v

It` isito beunderstoodl that v:the particulars .herein given are in no way limitative and Vthat while still keeping withinthe scopeiof the: invention, any desired: modifications of detail and desired proportions maybe made `.in the apparatusaccording to circumstances. Thef yinvention comprises xfurther' features and combination of parts-aswill.` behereina-fter set forth, shown inthe. `drawings 1 and claimed.

. In the drawings z- Figure l is a viewfin side'elevationof 4the boll weevil gatherer and destroyer,'show --ing-the-insecbreceiving pan and the rear part ofy the framevofr the machine'in section;

= Figure 2 is a plan View oftthe same;

I Figure 8 is arearl elevation;

Figure lf is'an enlarged'detail view inperspective ofoneof theiupper rear corners of the framea'nd a portionof the lowerfpartfof said cornerrand the shaft and one *of the rotating brushes thereon,' showinghow r fthe frame: is adjustable Iand lhow` the'fbrush is f 1f operated .i Figure 5. is across sectionalviewl through the insect vreceiving :pan;

Referring tame-drawings, 1 designates the bottoml frame ofthe machine',: and which comprises the longitudinal. side bars 2. Ar- Afrangedfat the rear of"the`7frame`is a' sta- :tionaryy shaft or `axle 3 on which the wheels f 4 and 5 are-mounted. The wheel frotates =.idly. while the Wheel 5 i constitutes means lfor` !driving' the rotating'brushes, which are 'supported,upon'the frame of the machine.

@lecured Ito and rising. from the side bars 2 are'frelativelyl short upright's 6, to whichlfthe acorn-erf.aiprights Tof: the '.upp'er :frame are a'djustably, connected. l In'rfact the corner l:upright's 71 ofthe Aupperframe 8.1arerpro- -fvided with alplurality of apertures-for openlings 9,-' for thereception offbolts 10, which passwthroughllthe relatively' short uprights G, zithus providingvmeans for adjustably- `lsupporting the upper frame, accordingy to coty-ton plants of .different heights.

i Also risingr from theA rear stationary axle Por shaft: are a braces '11,0 which f are adjustably connected Ito .the uprights 7l rthrough themei'diunr Aof bolts fl2,. which Vpass I #throughvceritainiofl :the apertures oriopenings 9. i These braces lltiact toY reinforcethe frame `rela- Y ti-velyltoithe bottomf framewandtherear =.-aXle1ori shaftywhich islmounted in the lower ehdsofwsa'id braces ll.

The'upperwparts of? the @orner uprights 7 nare Lreinforced by the tra-nsversebracesP13.

' l bars 16 to face upward.

Extension bars 18 are provided, there being Va plurality of openings or apertures in the transverse bars 16 for the reception of bolts 19, which also pass through the extension bars 18, for adjustably `connecting the latter to the bars 16. Obviously 'the extension bars 18 are adjusted laterally of the upper frame. y

The upper parts of the uprights 7 where ,they merge into the transverse bars 16 are relatively reinforced by the diagonal braces Y 20, which are connected at 21 to their central portions where they intersect. .It will be noted that the rear ends of the diagonal 4braces 2O are extended, thereby providing handles 22, by which the operator mayV push Ythe machine.forward. y

Journaled 1n bearings of these extensions Aofthe diagonal braces 2O is a transverse shaft 8, which is provided with beveled Vpinions 24 on its opposite ends. y

Journaled in bearings of the extension bars 18 are longitudinally extending side shafts 25, the rear ends of-which carry beveled pinions 26 meshing with the pinions 24. vAlso mounted upon and rotatable with the shafts are the elongatedhubs 27 of the rotating brushes. Secured to the hubs 27 are Vbrush Acarrying blades 28, there being one vat each end of each hub, one extending at right angles to the other. The bristles of rthe brushes extend radially and due to the blades revolving in vardly of the frame, that is to say, the lower portions of the blades operating inwardly under the shafts 25, the brushes will act to Vknock the boll weevils and other insects into the pan. The brushes 29 `are relatively large` and the bristles .thereof long, so as to sweep against the tops of the cotton plants.

'Y The rear shaft 23 comprises three vsections,the central section 30 (which is tubular), .and the end sections 31, which carry the beveled pinions 24.V The end sections 31 telescope the 'central section 30, and are keyed to the central section so thatY the entire shaft will rotate as one body. The

' reason for making the lshaft 23 in three sec- V,(t'ions, is to permit'the shaft to be lengthened orshortened, according to the distance'between `the two shafts 25, in other Ywords to accommodate the shaft 22 and its beveled `pinions to the shaft 25 and its beveled pinions 26, whereby power may be transmitted to the shaft 25, regardless of the width of the frame.

An arm 32 is carried by and secured to Y the rear transverse portion 16 of the upper frame, and terminates in a bearing 33 through which the central section of the shaft 23 extends and is mounted. This arm 32 and the bearing 33 are in the form of a single casting. The bearing for the central section 30 of the shaft 23 has a bearing 34 for the shaft 35, which extends downwardly toward and is mounted in a bearing of the bracket. 86, which also has a bearing for thc axle or shaft rllhis bracket is supported upon the transverse portion of the bottom frame 1 at the rear thereof. The lower end of the shaft has secured thereto a beveled pinion 37, which meshes with a beveled pinion 58 of one end of the hub of the orive wheel 5. rlhrough the medium of these beveled gears 37 and 38 power is transmitted to the shaft 25 for the purpose of rotating the brushes downwardly and toward each other, for the purpose of sweeping the boll weevils and other insects into the receiving pan 39.

The shaft comprises two sections 40 and 41, which are keyed or connected in any suitable manner as at 42 so that both scctions may rotate as one body, to insure imparting motion to the shaft 23.

A single supporting wheel 43 is provided for the forward end of the machine, and in order to support this wheel a fourth frame 44 is provided. The reduced extension 45 at the upper end of the fourth frame 44 is mounted in a sleeve bearing 4G. A collar 47 is secured by a set screw on the upper end of the extension to hold the extension in the bearing sleeve. Projecting rearward* ly of the bearing sleeve are arms 48 and 49, to which the upper and lower braces 50 and 51 are connected. The upper braces 50 diverge rearwardly and are connected to the forward uprights 7 at points where the diagonal braces 14 are connected tothe uprights, while the lower braces 51 diverge rearwardly and downwardly and are connected at 52 to the lower or bottom frame. A vloop bar 58 also straddles the forward wheel and has its lower ends provided with bearings for the reception of the axle 54 upon which the forward wheel is mounted. The loop bar is reinforced with respect to the reduced extension 45 by means of the brace 55. The upper end of this brace receives the extremity of the reduced extension 45, there being a nut on the extension to hold the brace connected thereto. The lower forward end of the brace 55 is secured to bolt and nut 56, and beyond the bolt and nut Vthe brace bar 55 terminates in a hitch or hook 57, by which draft animals may be connected to the machine for drawing it along between the rows of cotton plants. When the machine is being drawn between the rows of cotton plants, the operator travels in the rear of the machine, grasping the handles 22, so as to more or less steady and drive the machine.

The boll weevil receiving pan is supported upon the lower frame l, and comprises a longitudinally extending trough portion 58 and the laterally and upwardly diverging side pieces 59, which have extension members held in different adjusted positions on the side pieces 59 by means of the bolts 61, which pass through the side pieces 59 and the eX- tension pieces 60. In other words when the frame is adjusted laterally so as to accommodate itto rows which are spaced a considerable distance from each other, it is necessary to adjust the width of the insect receiving pan, which is accomplished by ad justing the extension pieces 60 considerably outwardly and upwardly, in order to insure catching and guiding the boll weevils and other insects into the pan. The pan is pro* vided with forward and rear end fenders 62 and 63, which act to prevent the boll weevils and other insects from falling in advance of the pan or in the rear thereof. In fact the insects, when struck from the plants drop downwardly and to one side of the plants, and since the machine is moving, when the insects are so removed from the plants, the insectsl may drop forward of, or too much to the rear of the pan, instead of thereinto, if it were not for the forward and rear fenders, which act to guide the insects into the pan. The forward and rear fenders are secured at 64 to the uprights 7.

Rising from the bottom of the insect receiving pan are transverse abutments 65, which are reinforced by means of the longitudinal abutment 66.

It will be noted that the machine when being operated, is adapted to be drawn between the rows of cotton or other plants, the frame and other members having been adjusted to suit the distance between the rows, and as the machine is traveling, the rotating brushes engage with the tops of the plants l and act to brush the boll weevil and other insects therefrom. Since the brushes rotate laterally outwardly and downwardly and under the shafts 25, the boll weevil and other insects are swept from the plants inwardly toward the center of the machine and therefore are deposited in the fluid, which comprises a maximum body of water and a minimum body of oil (which floats upon the water), the latter being destructive to the boll weevils and other insects, and when the insects are removed from the plants and caused to fall in the receiving pan, they will float for a short while on the surface of the oil until they are killed by the oil, after which they will descend to the bottom of the pan.

As previously stated the frame may be adjusted in height, as well as in width so as to accommodate the machine to plants of different heights and to rows differently spaced. Obviously when the frame is so adjusted, then it is necessary that the positions of the brushes be changed, therefore the parts of the frame which carry the shafts (which in turn support the brushes) are capable of being moved away from and toward each other.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is An apparatus of the class described comprising a portable body, corner uprights carried by the body, frames substantially in the form of an inverted U coacting with the corner uprights at each end portion of the body, said frame extending upwardly of the corner uprights, means for connecting the side `members of each of said frames with the associa-ted uprights, arms associated with the upper portion of each of the frames and extending outwardly therefrom, means for adjustably connecting said arms to the frames, a shaft rotatably supported by each pair of arms at one side of the frame, driven means operatively supported by the frames for rotating said shafts, and brush elements carried by the shafts.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

GETTE W. HOLMES. 

